Danger Zone
by SnowyRefuge
Summary: Tatsumiya was often told that the only thing wrong with her relationship with Idate was everything. A series of one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

A series of one-shots about Idate and Tatsumiya.

Content may range from romance to something more _unsettling_ , but nothing should go beyond a T rating.

This story will always remain in a "Complete" status, even though I may or may not add more chapters, due to the fact that I'm not going to ever promise any sort of continuation. This could be the first of many Tatsumiya-Idate one-shots, or it could be the last.

* * *

 _"Guess your hubby kicked it? ... I see, I see. Suppose that he did die, then."_

 **1**

* * *

A knock, a haughty grin. They would talk a little, go back and forth with some banter, and then leave for a stroll through the sea.

That's how things normally went when Tatsumiya would find Idate at her door in the middle of the night with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Of course, there would normally be a few palace guards following closely behind him, just to make sure that such a suspicious person would go nowhere near Princess Uomi's chambers, but they stayed silent and left as soon as Tatsumiya was in sight. She was, after all, a court official, and if she wanted to take a stroll at night with one of the shadiest strangers in the entire kingdom in her spare time, then who were they to argue?

Of course, the orca's visits were irregular, never planned, and Tatsumiya had no way of knowing when he would show up next for a nightly stroll. Because of this, he oftentimes caught her at inconvenient times, whether it be when she was about to head out for council with the Princess or when she was already dressed for bed.

Still, it normally ended with her inviting him inside her home for a few moments so that he wouldn't have to stand outside her door while she grabbed her shoes, and then a quick get-away into the dark night waters. That's how it always panned out. Just a walk, maybe a kiss or two, and then his leaving her at the foot of the castle. She knew he was too dangerous of a person to ever try anything more.

Or... That's what she had thought, before she had invited him in for tea.

He'd caught her with a kettle on the stove, and she wasn't going to just leave it there, but at the same time, she hadn't wanted to be rude and shoo him away. So, he let him into her home for what must have been the millionth time since they had begun their unscheduled rendezvouses three months ago.

And, somehow, the night had ended with her, lying naked in bed, and Idate, equally unclothed, hanging one arm around her shoulders and using other to hold a cigarette to his mouth.

Tatsumiya rested with the top of her head touching his chin. Tiredly, she watched a trail of smoke snake its way up to her ceiling. The room was going to reek for weeks, but she was too exhausted to ask him to stop. Instead, she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position and found Idate's tie lying on the bed, next to her thigh. She distinctly remembered how she had nearly strangled the man next to her trying to get it off of him, and how he'd been rather cross with her before she gave him another kiss.

Lazily, she tossed the offending object off the bed and heard Idate snort in a form of almost-laughter. Tatsumiya smiled lightly.

She worried, though, not of the consequences of her actions (though she would certainly worry about that later), but at how well she had done, and if she had done well in the orca's eyes. Idate had obviously been very skilled at this sort of activity, and it made Tatsumiya nervous to think of where he would place her in ability. She feared that he may not have enjoyed their night, and that this was why he was smoking his cigarette so quietly. He'd been talking quite a bit just before their adventures in the bed sheets, after all.

Embarrassed, Tatsumiya buried her face into Idate's neck and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, if I didn't perform too well," she muttered quietly. "I haven't done anything like this since..." She hesitated, and then decided to forget it. "Well, not in a _very_ long time."

The hand Idate wasn't using to hold his cigarette squeezed her arm, and then began rubbing at her skin with a its thumb. "You did beautifully, Sunshine."

He called her lots of things. Sunshine, Golden Eyes, Princess, Oarfish... Idate had so many nicknames for her that he almost never just called her "Tatsumiya." This made her almost as nervous as his quietness.

He continued to say nothing, and she kept just as silent, with her head in the crook of his neck and her face against his shoulder. She could feel it any time he inhaled or exhaled, sending more smoke billowing into the room. With each minute that passed, Tatsumiya could feel her heart sinking a little deeper inside of her chest.

After nearly five minutes of silence, Idate's thumb stopped stroking Tatsumiya's arm, and she thought for a moment that he may have fallen asleep. But then he was moving, putting his cigarette out and placing it on the end table next to the bed. Tatsumiya noted that she probably should have gotten an ash tray some time ago, even if only for the five minutes that Idate was normally in her home. It made her wonder if she would ever see the orca again after this. Something about this meeting seemed final, somehow, and it made her feel sad to think that she would never find him in her doorway again, grinning like a cat.

And then Idate's arm was fumbling about, trying to locate the pack that he had put there nearly an hour ago, only to give up. Instead, he sat up, pushing Tatsumiya off of him. She looked over at him nervously. "Are you-"

She silenced when Idate crawled on top of her, a hand on either side of her head, and began kissing her neck. Almost instantly, Tatsumiya melted into his touch and tangled her fingers into his hair.

He was tired; she could tell because his kisses weren't as heated as they had been earlier. He was simply kissing her because he wanted to, not because he wanted anything more.

"So, Oarfish," Idate took pauses between his kisses to speak. "What were you saying earlier? You haven't done anything like this since when...?"

He wasn't digging for information, she knew, but just wanted to say something. Even so, Tatsumiya became stiff at the question. "Well... Not since my husband-" She cut her words short as she felt Idate's sharp teeth nibble at her skin. She let out a small gasp, and she could feel his smile against her throat. After the small interruption, though, she'd lost her confidence and merely let her sentence drift off vaguely.

" _Husband_?" Idate lifted his head from her neck and looked at the woman skeptically, an eyebrow raised. "Huh, didn't take you to be _that_ type of person."

He apparently didn't care whether she was married or not, though, as he went back to kissing her, this time moving down to her collar bone.

"I..." Tatsumiya briefly lost her voice and instead pushed the man away from her, face and body inexplicably burning with shame. "I-I'm not... I'm not a cheater. I can't... I mean, he's..." Tears pricked at her eyes. Idate looked very much like he had no idea what to do, as he merely scratched at the back of his head. "My husband, he's dead. He died, at the end of the great war a hundred years ago. And just before Lord Meikai..."

Tatsumiya covered her mouth with her hands as a loud sob escaped her throat. Idate, not knowing what else to do, leaned down on the bed, dragging Tatsumiya down with him so her head rested on his chest.

"We fought a lot before it happened, too," She blubbered out, wrapping her arms as tightly around the man as she could. "It was because he thought I... No, he _knew_ how I felt about Lord Meikai. And I think that's what made it worse for me, even after all this time. The fighting, how we never made up. His last thoughts were probably about how he thought his wife was off, swooning over another man."

She sniffled and shook her head as Idate began to stroke her hair. "I don't even know why I'm telling you all this. It's not like you actually _care_."

For a few moments, the room was silent. Tatsumiya was about to get up and kick Idate out of her home when the orca let out a short chuckle.

"Dealing with all this shit, and you still manage to be such a charming, classy lady... That's precisely what I like about you, Tatsu-Chan."

 _Tatsu-Chan._ She'd never heard that one before. And, somehow, it only made Tatsumiya cry harder than before.

Idate simply ignored the sobbing and continued stroking her hair. "You're pretty smart, for a fish, and plenty strong, too." If she wasn't so choked-up from her sobbing, Tatsumiya would have scoffed at such an insulting compliment. "That strong will of yours is probably the most attractive thing about you, and I'd love to see more of it."

She continued to cry silently, just letting him continue with his speaking and stroking.

"But you know, I've been away from home for four months now, and I think it's time I bring my little vacation to an end and head back up north. I _was_ planning on just leaving in the morning and not saying anything, but would you like to come with me?"

Honestly, Tatsumiya had no idea what had drawn her to Idate so much in the first place. He was arrogant, had a violent personality, smoked too much, and if he ever cared, he had some funny ways of showing it. Essentially, he was the opposite of the type of man she was normally attracted to, like her worry-wart of a husband, or the humble Lord Meikai.

She could make up a thousand excuses not to leave and travel north with him. She hated the cold. She had important business to attend to with the princess. She needed to stay with Wadanohara, as moral support for the girl while she await Samekichi's return. She wasn't fond of the idea of being led into possible traps by orcas...

But none of these seemed right. She didn't like the cold, but she didn't dislike it, either. There were others that Princess Uomi could rely on in times of need, like Pulmo and Helica. Even Wadanohara, with the help of her familiars, seemed to be slowly recovering from the shock of her love leaving in an attempt to save them all.

It could still be a trap, though.

She knew Idate was dangerous. His sharp teeth were obviously used for more than playfully nipping at a lover's skin, and orcas weren't exactly known for being kind to their food. And whenever she saw him walking about in the kingdom, he often looked like he was trying to pick a fight. And if she were being completely honest, all she knew about Idate was his name.

Even so, Tatsumiya couldn't help herself from nodding vigorously at the proposal, fighting back any more tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "Yes!" She cried out, pulling back from his chest and locking eyes with him. "Yes! Of course I'll come with you!"

Idate grinned, pointed teeth glinting from a light on in the hall. "C'mere, Golden Eyes." He pulled Tatsumiya forward, wrapping her in a tight embrace that nearly suffocated her but felt good, nonetheless. When she wrapped her arms around him in return, Idate briefly pressed his lips against hers, and then led a trail of kisses down from her jawline to her collar bone.

Still wiping at her tears, she looked at him in mild amusement. "What is it with you and kissing my neck?" That was how he started the entire process of getting her into bed in the first place: surprising her by coating her throat in kisses while she had been reaching for tea cups from her cupboard.

The man shrugged and smiled impishly. "I guess you could call it a fetish."

Tatsumiya rolled her eyes and pushed him off of her as he softly bit the side of her neck. Idate, now without Tatsumiya in his direct line of vision, managed to spot his pack of cigarettes, which had fallen sometime during their escapade from the end table to their pile of clothes lying on the ground. Ignoring Tatsumiya's protests, he still reached for them.

"Oh, please no. The room already smells enough as it is. I'll never get the stench of that smoke out."

"You're leaving with me tomorrow, though, right? Why's it even matter?"

"Oh, come on, now- seriously, Idate."

She groaned as he still lit the cigarette and laid down on top of the pillows, anyway, again pulling her on top of him with an arm around her shoulder. Gleefully, Idate let out a puff of smoke, which Tatsumiya watched float up to the ceiling with disdain.

"I just got one question for you, Princess."

"Hm?"

"You're husband, and that other guy... I'm not anything like them, am I?"

Tatsumiya almost burst out laughing. "Oh, no, no. I actually don't think you could be any more different from them."

Idate sighed in relief. "Good. 'Cause I was just thinking that it would be really weird if you were using me as some sort of substitute for them."

"Trust me, if I wanted a substitute, I would have had plenty of better choices."

"But none of them quite as attractive, right?"

"Don't get too full of yourself. Arrogance is a great weakness in even the strongest of men."

"Yes, but it's not arrogance if it's the truth, correct? I'm just stating facts."

"Your vanity truly is deplorable. I'm starting to think that I should fall for men of better character in the future."

"Oh? What was that, Oarfish? Did I just hear a confession? Perhaps a declaration of pure, undying love? I'm touched. I think I may cry."

"I- Well, I meant-"

"Well, no time for chatter, Tatsu-Chan. I'm tired, and I want to leave as soon as possible tomorrow. As much as I love seeing blood flush your pretty little face, we'll have plenty of time to write our vows on the way to Iceberg Isle."

Face still burning a bright red, Tatsumiya nodded silently and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Idate."

"See you in the morning, Sunshine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: This one's not so cute.**

 **Also, this has become more of a Wadanohara X Ice Scream crossover, but since I can't find Ice Scream or Ice Watching anywhere on fanfiction, I'm just sticking with the Wadanohara category.**

* * *

 _"Why would you do such an awful thing?"_

 _"Well, because I have a hobby of bullying the weak."_

 **2**

* * *

Tatsumiya found that Idate liked to stay out of the house for long periods of time without giving her any warning as to where or what he was doing, which oftentimes left the oarfish alone at home without much to do. She'd read from the books in their bedroom or make tea in the kitchen and watch the stillness of the icy waters outside of the cabin. Every now and then, she would find Mr. Nekoyama, the postman, making deliveries, oftentimes letters from home for Tatsumiya or underwater cigarettes for Idate. She liked talking with Mr. Nekoyama whenever he made his rounds in Iceberg isle; he was a very kind and funny bird, but he usually had to leave only minutes after arrival to make even more deliveries. Tatsumiya would make sure to give him a package of food as thanks and send him on his way. And then she would be left at home. Alone. Again.

It wasn't as if she didn't want to hang out with and talk to the people on Iceberg Isle; on the contrary, she very much wished to. The population was very small, and everyone seemed to know each other very well; everyone especially knew Idate. And that, there, was where the problem laid.

It became very apparent very quickly that no one liked Idate at all. In fact, the wolf boy Shirogane seemed downright terrified of the man, and, by process of association, Tatsumiya.

She would have loved to spend more time with the one-armed owl boy, Yukisada. He was very kind. But he was always hanging around Shirogane, who was his best friend.

There was also a polar bear woman named Rocma who obviously hated Idate with every fiber of her being. Tatsumiya had heard that she adopted an orphaned baby seal named Mafuyu, but so far, the woman had made certain to never so much as leave the child in Tatsumiya's line of sight.

She supposed that Rock talked, but he was never very kind, and Tatsumiya never liked to be around him for more than a few minutes. Ironically, he seemed to be the only person Idate considered to be a friend on Iceberg Isle. The rockhopper penguin, on the other hand, didn't seem to return the sentiment.

That left Peraco, a little penguin girl with too many siblings. Peraco was a very sociable girl, but Tatsumiya usually found that their conversations somehow ended up leading into something like this:

"So, you're the orca's girlfriend."

"Yes."

"And he's not, like, blackmailing you or anything?"

"I don't think he'd do anything like that."

"So you actually _like_ him?"

"Very much."

And then the words would come:

" _But_ _you're so **nice**_."

Those words hit her unexpectedly hard. Why would she, such a nice person, ever like Idate, the man who had saved her from the traitor that she had once trusted and considered her companion? The man who had so ruthlessly beaten Old to a pulp in less than two minutes, right before her very eyes.

He was a dangerous person, she knew, but Idate had always seemed kind to her, somehow. He doted on her like a kitten dotes on its master and teased her in such loving and playful manners that she could never help but stay in good spirits whenever he was around. And he'd _saved her life_.

In her mind, the real question was: Why _wouldn't_ she like him?

* * *

Tatsumiya was sitting on the couch at the house, only a few weeks after they had arrived at Idate's home in Iceberg Isle, reading a book that she'd received as a gift from Wadanohara through the mail only the day before. The only sounds in the small cottage had been the howling wind just outside of the window, the clock on the wall, and the turning of pages as Tatsumiya continued to read.

Idate had left approximately five hours ago, announcing that he was going out for a bit. When asked where he was going, he'd only vaguely responded that he was going out for a bite to eat.

There were no restaurants on Iceberg Isle, so Tatsumiya had no idea what he could have meant, but he was out the door before she was able to question him any further.

It had also brought up the question of why he hadn't brought her with him; they hadn't had a date in a while, and a deep feeling on loneliness had crept up on Tatsumiya the past few days. With her lack of social interaction with anyone else on the island and Idate's being gone for so long, she really did feel all alone in this tiny little cottage that they lived in.

Sighing, she turned a page.

Suddenly, the door was blasted open by the wind from the storm outside. "Tatsu-Chan, I'm home!"

Smiling faintly, Tatsumiya looked up. "Welcome home, Idat-"

She froze.

"Hm? What's with that look?" Idate scratched the back of his head and nearly singed his hair with the cigarette in his hand. "Oh, yeah, yeah. No smoking in the house, got it." With a grin, he put out the cigarette in the ash tray by the door.

Horrified, Tatsumiya continued to stare at him. It wasn't the smoking that had horrified her so; his mouth was smeared with blood.

Her first thought had been that he'd gotten into a bad fight while he was out. The second was:

 _What in the world has he been eating...?_

"Idate," she struggled to find words. "Why do you-"

The orca quickly intercepted. "I actually need to use the bathroom right now, but I promise we can chat when I'm done." That being said, he leaned over her and, tilting her chin up towards him, pressed his bloody lips to hers. He was lingering much too long for his usual "I'm home" kiss, and this fact, along with the metallic taste on his lips, only served to make Tatsumiya's skin crawl. He pulled back, an almost sickeningly sweet grin plastered across his face. "Love you, Golden Eyes."

And he was off, bounding towards the bathroom door.

Tatsumiya rushed to the kitchen sink, where she spat and rinsed her mouth out, trying to rid herself of the taste of blood. She cried out in surprise when she saw red water fall from her lips and into the sink, where it was quickly sucked down the drain.

She couldn't even think, the taste was so strong. She didn't even realize she was breathing heavily until after five minutes of trying to rid herself of the blood he put in her mouth, when she felt Idate's arms wrap around her torso. His mouth was right on top of her ear.

"What'cha doing, Sunshine?"

She jumped, which in turn caused him to laugh and kiss her cheek.

"Ah, you're too adorable; I could just _eat you up_."

Instantly, Tatsumiya pulled herself from his reach to look at him. He'd cleaned up while he was in the bathroom, as his mouth was completely blood-free. He still had that impish grin on his face, and it was making her stomach churn.

She suddenly burst out in nervousness. "Do you think you're being _cute_?"

Idate shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands into the pockets of his suit. "Well, yeah. Kinda."

"Well, you're not."

He frowned.

"Why was your mouth covered in blood?"

"I'd thought that you would know by now that I'm a carnivore," He explained. "I gotta eat _something_."

Of course she did; she knew that orcas ate meat. Somehow, though, she'd never imagined Idate killing for his food, and the sight of him, mouth smeared red, caused her to panic.

Noticing her silence, Idate smiled whimsically. "Usually, I try to clean myself up by the beach before coming home, but I kinda forgot until I was at the door. Figured I'd have a little fun with it."

 _Fun_...?

"Well, I didn't find it to be particularly funny. Especially the part where you kissed me."

His grin widened until she could see his pointed teeth. Tatsumiya found herself visibly shuddering. "Oh? Yeah, well, sorry about that."

She blinked in amazement at the sheer amount of insincerity in his voice.

She couldn't believe this.

Tatsumiya wrapped one arm around her stomach and used the other to hold her forehead. "Oh, really, now," She muttered to herself as she walked to the couch and plopped herself down on it. "I can't even understand- Honestly, it's _no wonder_."

" _What's_ no wonder?" Idate was next to her now, trying to wrap an arm around her quivering shoulders.

"Stop!" She nearly shouted the word. "Please, just- Just _don't touch me_."

Slowly, he retracted his arm, but still stayed inappropriately close.

Tatsumiya took a deep breath to calm herself. "It's just been so hard for me, staying here with you, Idate. Half of the time, it's just me sitting here alone, and the other half, it's cuddling and sex, and I just-" She shook her head, releasing it from her hand, but refused to look at him. "I really like you, but you're literally the only person I talk to here. It gets lonely. And when I saw you come in with all of that blood on your mouth, I... Really, you had me terrified."

Was it horrible of her to think that if Idate had killed and eaten her, nobody would have ever known?

Idate scratched his head and sighed. "Really sorry I upset you like that, Princess." He looked like he wanted to pat her on the shoulder, but thought better and decided against it. "But, if you get lonely here, why don't you just go and talk to some of the other people here?"

She wished desperately that he wouldn't make her answer.

He nudged her arm with his elbow. "C'mon, Sunshine, what's up? Why you being all recluse?"

Tatsumiya sighed and looked over at him. "Honestly, Idate, it's because everyone hates you."

Going by the expression on his face, this was the last thing he expected her to say.

"Eh? No, that can't be true. Everyone here _loves_ playing with me. It must be that-"

"Shirogane is too terrified to talk to me, and so Yukisada can almost never talk to me, either. Peraco's sweet, but she's always talking about how I'm too nice to be dating you." Idate's fingers twitched at this one. "And I'd love to talk with Rocma, since she's the only other adult woman here, but it's hard when she thinks that I'm going to hurt Mufuyu, and then _Rock_ -"

"Wait a second, who the hell's Mufuyu?"

Idate looked taken aback.

"Rocma's daughter. Mufuyu."

His eyebrows scrunched together. "Rocma's got a kid...?"

"Are you listening?"

"Sorry, sorry." The orca waved his hand nonchalantly. "Just soaking it in. Never would have guessed."

Tatsumiya was now feeling guilty about telling him. It seemed as if Rocma had been trying to hide the child from Idate.

"Anyway, I think I know where you were going about Rock. He _is_ a dick."

"I'm not sure you, of all people, should be saying stuff like that," she shot back at him.

Idate ignored simply ignored the jab. "Hm... Yeah, I think you should go and see the owl and the wolf tomorrow."

"I already told you, Shirogane is terrified of me because we're dating, and Yukisada is _always_ with him." She was beginning to lose her nerve about talking with him. It seemed as if he wasn't listening to a thing she said.

"Oh, no, I heard," he told her, "But there must have just been some sort of _misunderstanding_. I'm sure that if you go over to their house tomorrow, maybe bring some tea, you can clear things up _real_ quickly."

She didn't like the tone in his voice. He was obviously up to something.

She conceded, nonetheless.

* * *

That night, Shirogane the wolf jolted awake at the sound of a knock on the door. From his position on the couch of Yukisada's living room, he peeked over the armrest to peer at the clock hanging on the wall. Two in the morning.

He listened, ears perked, as the knocking continued in a rather loud and annoying pattern. Whoever it was obviously wasn't very concerned about their sleep.

"Shiro-Kun," he heard Yukisada's voice call out groggily from his bedroom. "Can you please see who it is?"

Shirogane hesitated a moment.

The knocking persisted. In fact, it seemed to grow louder at Yukisada's voice.

Slowly, he got up from the couch and crept towards the door. When he reached his destination, Shirogane noticed that the knocking had finally stopped, as if the visitor had heard him approaching, and wished desperately that there was a peephole on the door.

Perhaps it was Rocma. She was the only person he could think of on Iceberg Isle with such perceptive hearing, other than himself. She wasn't exactly patient or friendly, either, so it would explain the loud knocking. But what could Rocma possibly want at two in the morning?

 _Hopefully not beat the shit out of him._

Carefully, Shirogane creaked open the door.

He knew, from the smell of cigarettes that hit his nostrils almost immediately, that it was the orca before he could even see him.

Letting out a startled cry, Shirogane immediately attempted to slam the door shut, but Idate had jammed his foot into the small space before he was able.

 _Harpoon_. Shirogane began to sprint to the next room. _There was a harpoon upstairs_.

Before he even had the chance to reach the door leading to the kitchen, however, he felt a tug on the collar of his shirt and knew that he'd been too slow.

"Where you think you're going, _buddy_?"

"Oh, no, please, spare me!" He cried. "I don't taste good at all, I swear!"

The orca slapped a hand over his mouth. "Keep quiet, dog; I didn't come to play... Not today, anyway~"

It was at this point that Shirogane began to legitimately cry, though he's wanted to even since he'd thought Rocma might be at the door, wanting to kick his ass.

"Now, I'm just going to pass along a little information, and you can do with it whatever you want, 'K?"

Shirogane nodded his head profusely.

"Good, good. 'Cause, you see, my girl's been kinda depressed lately, and I think it's because she's not making any friends here, which _really_ sucks, because I like her a lot more when she's happy. Now, she might also be a little mad at me, which is why I'm sleeping on the couch tonight, but I still wanna cheer her up however I can. She's really cute and sweet; has a nice smile, you know? Puts a smile on my own face."

Shirogane nodded so hard he felt as if his neck was going to break.

He didn't like the orca's smiles.

"So I told her to come and play with you and owl boy tomorrow... See where I'm going?"

He most certainly did, and he did not like it _at all_.

Still, the orca elaborated. "Meaning that if she comes home tomorrow _without_ a smile on her face, I'm not going to be happy. Meaning that the next time we're playing together, you and owl boy aren't getting off with any arms attached again."

Even though the orca was behind him, Shirogane could feel the scary expression on his face, and so he cried even harder.

With all this being said, the orca finally released him, but he still stayed stiff and motionless. "Well, that's all I had to say! Thank you oh, so much for inviting me into your home so late at night!" Shirogane heard the front door open. "Better get some sleep, worm!" And it was slammed shut.

After a few moments, Shirogane climbed back onto the couch and wept himself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

 _"Isn't it unfair to use weapons?"_

* * *

It wasn't as if Tatsumiya never expected to see Idate coming home injured; he harassed the people on Iceberg Isle far too much for them to never retaliate. It was simply the way things were bound to be at one point or another, and so Tatsumiya had prepared for the occasion by storing all the medical supplies she may need in the house.

But to see him limping into the house one day, impaled by _four harpoons_...

This was certainly not something she had ever expected.

She had to keep calm, though. She needed to keep her head on her shoulders. Panicking would do nothing to help Idate.

 _Towels, bandages, disinfectant, pliers, towels, bandages, disinfectant, pliers, towels..._

She was darting around the house in search of the supplies she needed while Idate rested on the couch, where she had ushered him as soon as he had stepped through the door. Of course, he had to sit up to avoid pushing the harpoons around in him and worsening his wounds, and he was obviously not thrilled by this.

"Man, I just wanna take a nap," he whined in between wheezes.

"You'll have to wait until I get those harpoons out and treat those wounds."

"And when you do, I'm going to enjoy a nice dream in which I relive the moment where I beat the shit out of that cheating wolf."

He quieted for a moment, grimacing in pain. "Quiet," Tatsumiya, now having found all of her supplies, stood in front of him. "It won't do you any good to get yourself worked up."

Idate eyed her hands, which were now wielding a pair of scissors. "What? You gonna _cut_ them out?"

"I need to get your shirt and jacket off first. You don't want to get fabric stuck in your wounds, and I need to clean you up a little before I pull anything out."

"Man, and I _really_ liked this suit!"

It was amazing how he was able to joke and whine like this when he was so horribly injured. Still, there was this slight shake of the eyes, a silent fury, which let Tatsumiya know that he was, indeed, fighting a great deal of pain. Although she wasn't likely to say it aloud, she found it to be quite admirable, and so she used his strength as an anchor to keep herself composed.

"Oh, please. You have a half a million others exactly like this one, anyway."

She began to cut away at his clothes as quickly and carefully as she could, starting at the bottom and moving upwards. When she was finished with his jacket, she peeled it off of his arms and started on his shirt.

"You know," Idate wheezed out as he watched her work, "If I wasn't impaled seven times within the past half an hour, I'd be _really_ turned on right now."

"Oh, hush."

...

"Wait, _seven_?"

* * *

Idate had been incredibly lucky that the harpoon in his chest just barely missed his heart and lungs, instead managing to graze his trachea. While this in itself wasn't a good thing, Tatsumiya had found that it certainly could have been a _lot_ worse, and Idate had only been having trouble with talking and breathing due to this particular injury.

He hadn't been kidding when he'd said he'd been hit by seven harpoons, either. When Tatsumiya had finally gotten to cleaning to blood that was caked on his body, she'd found three more gaping wounds in his abdomen; Idate later explained that he had pulled them out, himself, just so he could better teach Shirogane a lesson about using weapons and sneak attacks. He'd done a very poor job at pulling them out, too, as he left several tears and pieces of metal in his skin that Tatsumiya had to pull out with pliers.

Really, it was a miracle that Idate, although bedridden, was still even _alive_. Granted, none of the other six harpoons seemed to have hit anything vital, but he could have easily died from blood loss.

Still, Idate certainly didn't seem to think this way, and instead became easily frustrated with the entire situation of being stuck in a bed all day. Tatsumiya admitted, however, that part of his foul mood could have also been due to her cutting him off of cigarettes while the small injury to his trachea healed; she just wasn't entirely sure what else she could do to help him in that area. He had taken it as if her taking his smoking habits away was some sort of punishment for almost losing in a fight. Even when she was losing sleep over catering to his needs (helping him any time he needed to use the bathroom; changing his bandages twice a day; cooking for him for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; changing his sheets every day; reading books and playing card games with him to prevent him from becoming bored), he always found something to complain about, most of which always found their way back to smoking.

Her meals were another point which seemed to trigger him into strange fits.

"Alright, today I made some soup; it's got carrots and peas, but it has plenty of beef in it, too."

Idate merely stared at her out of the corner of his eyes. He'd normally had dark bags under his eyes, but they'd only seemed to grow darker since he'd been harpooned; obviously, Tatsumiya had not been the only one losing sleep.

Once receiving the food, he merely stirred his spoon around in the bowl. "Wish we had some fresher meat," he muttered unpleasantly.

"Well, I'm not about to go out and slaughter a seal for you," she retaliated. "Please, just eat, Idate."

He grimaced. "It's too hot."

Tatsumiya bit her tongue at a snarky comment and instead took the bowl from his hands. "Fine, then." Maybe if she gave it to him at dinner time, he'd be hungry enough to give in and eat it.

Just as she was leaving the room, she'd heard him grumbling between wheezes. "Maybe I'd actually eat your shit if you'd let me have a smoke every once in a while."

She took it, though. She knew it was just the nicotine withdraw speaking.

He hated having his bandages changed, too.

"I wanna fucking die."

She didn't bother looking up from fear of losing concentration. "Well, I don't want you to."

He'd stayed silent and miserable the rest of the time she spent re-wrapping his wounds. When she was done, she laid down next to him and, careful not to touch any of his injuries, placed her head on his shoulder. After a moment, he wrapped one of his arms around her and continued to stare at the ceiling.

The silence only lasted about five minutes.

"Man, I want a smoke."

* * *

Idate's trachea injury healed fairly quickly, and ever since he was able to speak without wheezing constantly, he'd been asking Tatsumiya for a cigarette at least ten times a day, to which she would refuse; she feared that smoking would still do something to his newly healed injury or cause him to lose weight again, and so she'd refused to let him smoke for over a month, when most of his other wounds had almost been completely healed, before finally caving in.

"Come on, _Princess_ ," he'd whined when she came in to bring him his lunch. "Can you just let me-"

"Fine," she handed him his food and produced his pack of cigarettes from the nightstand sitting next to his bed. Idate appeared shocked; he hadn't know that she'd hidden his cigarettes so close to him.

Still, he smiled upon receiving a single stick, along with his lighter. "'Bout time."

He lit it immediately, and Tatsumiya made sure to open the window, letting in a freezing draft of air. Idate paid no mind, though, too engrossed in taking a long drag on his cigarette. He looked more contented when he released a trail of smoke than she'd seen him since he was bedridden.

"Just so you know, though," Tatsumiya told him, "The moment that you're able to walk on your own, you're going back to smoking on the porch."

He waved a hand at her dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. I got it."

Tatsumiya sat down next to him. "Those _will_ give you lung cancer."

" _I know, I know_. Just let me enjoy the moment."

* * *

Even though Idate was, indeed, walking on his own only a short couple of weeks later, he still couldn't make any sudden movements without upsetting his healing wounds, which was why, when Peraco showed up at the doorstep one morning, Tatsumiya didn't find herself particularly concerned for the girl's safety.

"Haven't seen you in a while," the little penguin girl explained as Tatsumiya invited her into the house. "Just wanted to check in and make sure the orca didn't eat you or something yet."

"Yes, well, even if he wanted to, I don't think Idate's in any sort of condition where he could even _attempt_ to eat me at the moment."

The girl raised at eyebrow as Tatsumiya led her into the kitchen. "Shirogane said he harpooned him a couple times. Did he do _that_ good?"

"He did impale him seven times, if that answers your question."

Peraco looked impressed, as if she'd had a new-found respect for the cowardly wolf that lived just next door to her.

When they made it to the kitchen, they found Idate hunched over a plate of eggs and bacon, his toast left untouched and scooted closer to Tatsumiya's plate. The way he eyeballed Peraco implied that he was annoyed by the young girl's presence. Obviously, he wasn't fond of being seen in such a weak state.

He pointed his knife at her, although it didn't seem very threatening, considering it was a only butter knife. "The hell's she doin' here?"

"Joining us for breakfast, of course," Tatsumiya told him. "And, please, stop pointing. Really, Idate, try to behave yourself; she's a guest and a friend."

Peraco sat herself in the seat opposite Idate while Tatsumiya grabbed a new plate for the girl and set it in front of her. Peraco only went for a few of the eggs lying in the bowl on the table, but made sure to grab quite a bit of bacon.

"Want any toast?"

Peraco shook her head while she chewed at her food. "No, thank you." She swallowed, as if for dramatic effect. "Anyway, you still dating this trash?"

Idate almost choked on his fork.

Tatsumiya, who had just taken a bite out of her toast, blushed and swallowed uncomfortably. "Uh... well, yes..."

"Is it because you have nowhere else to stay?" She pressed, face completely neutral. "'Cause you can stay with me and my siblings; we don't mind. I'm sure Yukisada wouldn't mind making room at his place, either. He's already got that free-loader Shirogane there."

Idate slammed his knife and fork down on the table. Tatsumiya could see from the slight spasm in his arms that the sudden movement had upset his injuries. "You trying to pick a fight, punk?"

The tiny penguin girl merely shook her head. "No, not really."

"Then shut up. I haven't had penguin in a while, and I _really_ don't think you want to tempt me."

" _Idate_ -"

"Anyway," Peraco paid no mind to the orca's threats. "Yukisada said he wanted to come over to check on you, too, Tatsumiya, but Shirogane wouldn't let him come here. He just wanted me to ask you if you wanted to have tea or something later this week."

Tatsumiya smiled a sipped at her tea. "Oh, yes, I would love to, but..." She looked over at Idate, uncertain. "Would you be fine staying here alone for a few hours?"

Rather than doing is usual off-handed wave, he peered at her in annoyance. "I'll be fine."

While she was troubled by the way her boyfriend had snapped at her, but decided against mentioning it. She smiled at her guest. "Oh, then would you please tell Yukisada and Shirogane that I would love to come over? Perhaps two days from now, around noon?"

"Sure thing!"

Idate simply sent a silent glare Tatumiya's way.

"So," Peraco was staring at Idate now. "How weak is he? I mean, like, if I poke him, can he still eat me?"

While he was visibly enraged, Tatsumiya couldn't help letting a laugh slip from her lips. "Well, if you move quickly enough, he can't chase you."

"I'm _right here_ -"

"But I wouldn't recommend it; he can still bite pretty hard."

* * *

The wind slammed the door shut behind Tatsumiya before she even had the chance to close it. The harsh weather had only began to pick up once she'd left Yukisada's house, leaving her with an hour-long trek through harsh winds just to get home. Of course, Yukisada would have been more than willing to let her stay a few more hours until the wind died down, Tatsumiya knew, but she worried about Idate. It had been her first time leaving him by himself for an extended period of time ever since Shirogane had harpooned him, but despite her boyfriend's insistence that he would be fine, she couldn't help it whenever her thoughts wandered back to him.

He really wouldn't like that she'd walked through such horrible weather just to check on him. She'd been trying too hard for him lately.

Maybe she shouldn't have baked muffins for him before she left; it seemed a little silly now. She at least still hoped that he'd enjoyed them, though.

"Idate, I'm back." Shivering against the cold, Tatsumiya shoved her shoes off of her feet and placed them next to the door. Upon further inspection of the living room, she found that, while the fireplace was lit with large burning flames, the orca was nowhere to be found. Peeking around the corner to the kitchen, she also discovered that the pan of muffins was left untouched. "Idate? Is everything OK?"

His voice came from the bedroom. "I'm fine."

She wasn't about to question him; she was too tired from the trek back to the house. "Alright... Just let me know if you need anything." Before she knew it, she was curling up on the couch, letting the roaring flames from the fire place across the room warm her.

About half an hour into her doze, she was just barely able to register the sound of footsteps leading from the bedroom to her current location on the couch. She figured that Idate had just come to check up on her and ignored him as she felt a dip on the cushions next to her head.

"Hey, Golden Eyes, you awake?"

His voice was right in front of her, and Tatsumiya felt his breath tickling her face. The stench of cigarette smoke burned at her nose. "Just barely." She opened her eyes to find that he was crouched over the couch with his head resting on his arms. His face was only a few inches from hers.

He reached forward and lightly flicked the tip of her nose. "You are _really_ cute when you're sleepy."

She wrinkled her nose as he opened his mouth. "Just how much have you been smoking today?"

"No more than usual."

In other words: a lot. He'd probably been through _at least_ two packs while she was gone. Tatsumiya found herself groaning at his response and closed her eyes.

"Hey, there." He whined, brushing some of her white hair back behind her ear. Her hair had grown quite a bit since she'd come with him to Iceberg Isle, and she had found that it reached just below her shoulders now. "Don't just ignore me, Sunshine."

"I'm not ignoring you," she murmured. "I'm just very, very tired."

"I can see that." His hand had settled now, resting on her cheek. When she opened her eyes again, she found Idate grinning suggestively. "I can wake you up, if you want."

" _Very_ cute," Tatsumiya drawled. "But I'm not in the mood."

He nudged at her playfully. "Awe, and why not? We haven't had sex such a long time!"

If Tatsumiya remembered correctly, the last time they had frolicked in the bed sheets had been two days before Idate had nearly died to Shirogane's supposed surprise attack. Truth be told, she wouldn't mind, but she worried that any strenuous activity may reopen the wounds that the two of them had fought so hard to heal. "Look, I just walked through that awful storm, and I want to get some rest." She saw his expression harden with annoyance. "I wouldn't object to a little cuddling, though."

He didn't seem amused by her weak offer, though, and dropped his hand from her cheek. "You just think I'm weak, don't you?"

"What?" Shocked, Tatsumiya pushed herself up on one of her arms. "What would give you that idea?"

"The penguin said it yesterday," he told her, pushing himself to his feet and putting his hands in his pockets. "And you even _agreed_."

Confused about what he was talking about, Tatsumiya thought back to their conversation yesterday. Only one topic came to mind.

 _'How weak is he?'_

"Oh, Idate, she was just wondering if it was safe to be around you!" Tatsumiya sat up, exasperated. "Really, you're just overreacting."

He didn't seem very convinced. He leaned over, placing his arms on the back of the couch by her head. "Hm? And the coddling?"

She found that heat was suddenly rising to her face as she realized that her behavior probably _could_ be considered coddling, although she'd be hesitant to admit it.

"I-I just, well... I was..."

She trailed off, eyes cast downward. After a few moments of silence, Idate placed his mouth next to her ear. "What was that, Oarfish?"

He hadn't expected it when Tatsumiya's shoulder began to quiver or that, when she looked up at him, her face would be covered in tears. "I just don't want to lose you, too."

Eyebrows raised, he backed away, giving the woman some space, and Tatsumiya took this time to wipe at her eyes with her sleeves. "I know you're strong, Idate; trust me, I know. But I'd never seen anyone as seriously injured as you were when Shirogane lashed out at you, and I just wanted to make sure that you were going to be fine. I've already lost two loves, and I don't think I'd be able to bear losing you, as well. So I suppose I just became a little too much of a mother hen." She laughed a little bit at this, but immediately after began to cry again. "I must have been very overbearing, what with how independent you are, and I am very sorry."

Idate sighed and sat down next to Tatsumiya, then pulled her into his lap. He began to rub her back, and in response, she buried her face into his shoulder. "I never once thought of you as weak, though. Honestly, I can't think of a single other person that can survive being impaled seven times within an hour, _and then_ proceed to destroy your attacker in battle. You are freakishly resilient." She tried laughing again, but only hiccuped.

He only continued to rub at her back as she kept on crying. "It really isn't fair for you to be crying, Tatsu-Chan," he muttered. "You know I hate weapons."

She nodded. "I really am sorry."

He sighed. "I know, I know. Let's just call it even, then, OK?"

Tatsumiya pulled back, sniffling, to look at him. "What are we even for?"

Idate smiled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Well, while you were out, I may have smoked about two packs in the bedroom."

She blinked in surprise, and a brief look of anger flashed across her face, but then she was shaking her head and once again wiping at her eyes. "OK, then. Fine, we're even."

"Good, good." Then he went back to rubbing her back, and she had her face in his shoulder once more. "By the way, how was that cowardly son of a bitch doing?"

"Fine," she muttered against him. "But he's in a wheel chair at the moment. Did you _really_ break both of his legs, dislodge his arm from its socket, _and_ tear out one of his ears?"

Although she couldn't see it, he grinned. "Ah, good to hear it. And, yes, guilty as charged."

"You know, this kind of stuff is precisely the reason that everyone here wants you dead."

"I know, I know."


	4. Chapter 4

**Set some time between the second and third chapters.**

 **Warning: Lots of cursing because Rock.**

* * *

 **4**

 _"I want to die."_

 _"Go ahead, moron."_

 _"I'm not a moron."_

 _"Fucking moron. Fucking orca."_

* * *

Idate sometimes liked to show up at Rock's house, uninvited and completely out of the blue, with a pack of beer in hand and some stupid grin on his face. Rock wasn't normally the type of guy to pass up free alcohol, so he'd usually let the orca in for a few drinks, even though they usually went through the whole pack quickly and moved on to whatever it was Rock had stored in the house, usually just some bottles of whiskey that were hidden behind the moldy cheese in the back of the fridge.

Rock never could remember why he ever let the moron do this, though. The dumb ass orca was always the loudest, most obnoxious drunk he'd ever met, and Rock, who never went past two bottles when in company, had to deal with it while sober every single time the ass visited.

"Weren't any fucking fish biting today," the rockhopper penguin muttered angrily, trying to strike up a conversation that he could stand around the orca. He vainly hoped that his unlucky day of fishing would be worth _something_.

"Ah, too bad," Idate grunted loudly, his head laid out on the top of Rock's messy kitchen table. "Must not be looking in the right place, pal. I've always got a _fish_ biting for _me_!" He laughed loudly, and as his head moved, his dorsal fin hit a bottle that was sitting on the table, knocking it to the floor. "Oops."

Rock's eyes followed the bottle as it shattered. "Fuck you."

"Yeah, she does that, too."

He hadn't even realized that the orca had replied to his comment on fishing in some sort of obscure innuendo until he said this.

"First Rocma, and now this Tatsumiya chick," Rock muttered. "You _never_ stop talking about women, and it's really fucking annoying."

Idate's head was off the table in just a few moments. "Ah, and I bet Rocma's really regretting not taking my offer up when she could, 'cause now I have a cute girlfriend, and she's gonna be left with the scraps." He slammed a fist down on the table, making a few other bottles shake. Rock, being the only other full-grown man left on the island, ignored the fact that he'd just been referred to as scraps. "Well, _I_ , for one, am _glad_ that I have a cute, sweet girlfriend that loves and accepts my flaws and violent tendencies, unlike that cold-hearted polar bear!"

"Seriously, shut the fuck up."

Idate seemed to listen to his friends words for a few moments as he held a nearly empty bottle to his mouth, trying to force the final droplets to pour out. Once he was finally done, he placed it back down silently.

"Ah, but I really do love those motherly types."

" _Fuck_!"

* * *

"Come on, Tatsumiya, _open up the goddamn door_!"

Tatsumiya started awake to the sound of pounding on the front door and Rock screaming. According to the clock on the wall, it was four in the morning.

"Wake the fuck up!"

Carefully, she slid out of bed and grabbed a coat to wrap around her arms as she made her way to the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find the rockhopper penguin in his rarely seen human form, with Idate draping an arm around his shoulders and whining rather loudly about wanting a beer.

Drowsily, she rubbed at her eyes. "Oh. Rock. Idate."

"Hi, there, Tatsu-Chan!" Idate slurred on his words and waved a hand at her. "You look sleepy. Did I ever tell you look cute when you're sleepy?"

"Yes, you have."

Rock intervened before the orca could say anything in response. "Just get this moron away from me. I can stand him even less when he's drunk."

"I'm not... drunk."

The two ignored him as Tatsumiya took the man from Rock. Upon receiving him, she was welcomed with several kisses littering her cheek. Shaking her head, she tried to keep Idate's affectionate attempts at bay. "Really, now, that's quite enough; you're embarrassing me- Oh, thank you so much for bringing him back, Rock."

Rock didn't reply, but simply grumbled to himself and pulling a cigarette from his pocket. "Fucking orca." After lighting his cigarette, he slid away from the front door and stalked back off into icy tundra to make his way home again.

Tatsumiya couldn't even wave goodbye or say any words of farewell before Idate was awkwardly trying to wrap his arms around her in a hug. "Tatsumiya, cutie..."

Groaning, Tatsumiya detangled herself from his arms and escorted him back into the house. "Your breath stinks even more than usual. Just how much did you even _drink_?"

"Dunno," he hiccuped. "Wasn't keeping track."

She sat him down on the couch. "This is just ridiculous. Every single time you go over there, you come back tripping over your own feet."

"Isn't anything wrong with me," he grunted.

"You need to stop drinking like this; you're going to get yourself hurt one of these days."

But he was already ignoring her, wrapping her into another awkward hug against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, buried his face in her hair. "Your hair's so pretty and soft..."

"Well, it _is_ my bedhead, so its not quite so pretty right now." She sighed, shaking her head. "You just need to get some sleep."

"No," he replied dizzily. "I think that what we need is to have your little witch daughter and her friends visit. The bird and the octopus sure do look tasty!"

She found that Idate had taken to looking at a set of pictures Tatsumiya had placed over the fireplace when she had first arrived at Iceburg Isle. One was of a smiling Wadanohara and blushing Samekichi, taken long before the incident with the Sea of Death had occurred. The second was of Wadanohara with her newer familiars: Memoca, waving at the camera with an impish grin; Dolphi, hiding herself behind Wadanohara shyly; and Fukami, standing at the back of the frame with a neutral expression.

"Firstly, I've already told you that Wadanohara is not my child; she's Lord Meikai's-"

"She's your kid," he interrupted with a tone of finality.

Tatsumiya paid him no mind. "-Secondly, those children are her friends and familiars- _not food-_ "

"Too bad. I always have fun playing with sharks, too!"

"-And thirdly, _you need to get some sleep_."

"Fine." Finally, Idate released her from his hold, and Tatsumiya began to pat at her clothing, removing any wrinkles. Before she could get up to grab a trash can and a blanket, however, Idate had lain down with his legs stretched across the couch and his head in her lap.

"Oh, no," she argued, "You are _not_ doing this."

He was asleep before she could protest any further, though.

After a few brief moments of frustration, she began to stroke at his hair, seemingly more out of annoyance than affection, though. Silently, Tatsumiya found herself agreeing with Rock's final words.

Fucking orca.


	5. Chapter 5

**Been a while since we were back at the sea.**

* * *

 **5**

 _"Be careful picking what guys you hang out with, alright? Those wife-beater types are just the worst."_

* * *

Tatsumiya had felt herself drifting further and further from consciousness with each minute that passed since Wadanohara had asked the orca to help her escape to safety. Her savior, who had come in the form of a tall suited man that smelled horribly and heavily of cigarette smoke, walked slowly and easily with Tatsumiya's arm around his shoulders for support. Old had wounded her terribly when he had sunk his fangs into her shoulder, which was now bleeding profusely and making it very difficult for her to focus on much of anything but the pain in her shoulder and the wobbling of her legs.

Every now and then, the pain would increase, and Tatsumiya found herself making a sharp intake of breath. Each time, her escort would simply slow down a little and tighten his grip around her waist to keep her upright.

Eventually, he had led her back into Deep Sea Town, where he found an alleyway between a town store and one of the buildings next to it. "This should do," he muttered.

It looked anything but safe to Tatsumiya, and she made sure to let him know as he was setting her down against the wall. "If anyone discovers us, we're cornered."

The orca merely grinned. "Ah, yes, but a cornered animal _is_ the most dangerous kind, correct?"

She simply didn't have the breath to argue, so she slumped against the wall, breathing heavily, and held her injured shoulder.

"Hm... He did take quite a bad bite out of you, didn't he?"

She looked up at the man. He seemed to be considering something, holding his chin and looking down at Tatsumiya with a frown. After a moment, he shook his head. "Anyway, we should probably do something about that, right? Wouldn't want you bleeding out after that long journey here, would we?"

Tatsumiya felt like she wanted to pass out then and there, but fought it. "Just, please, tear off my sleeve... Use it to wrap the wound..." She held out her uninjured arm. The orca simply stared at the trembling appendage for a moment before complying, tearing the silk of her gown and using it to bandage her injury.

"So, you normally this weak?"

Tatsumiya would have been offended by the question, had she not been bleeding to death and slipping in and out of consciousness. "No. I was poisoned a short time ago, so... my magical capabilities were limited. I had also engaged in another battle prior." She closed her eyes as the orca tied the cloth into a knot around her shoulder. "I was caught in a bad position to be fighting."

"I see, I see."

"Last time we crossed paths," she paused to gather her breath, "he wasn't quite so lucky."

The orca grinned at this. "You mean to tell me a pretty little thing like you tore up that big bad guy's face? Quite impressive, I admit. Also makes the guy a bit of a cowardly dick to be tangling with you in that kind of shape."

Tatsumiya didn't reply to him, and simply took to looking at her lap, hung up on his description of her. ' _Pretty little thing like you_.'

She shook her head weakly. "Yes, well, while Old is a coward, he is a dangerous coward... I'm just glad that Wadanohara was fine. If he had hurt her, I don't think I'd..." She trailed off, not sure how to continue. The orca didn't probe any deeper, and he didn't really seem to care about her sudden loss for words.

The was a short period of silence. "I taught her, you know."

The man looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "Hm?"

"Wadanohara, the witch." She let out a deep, shuddering breath as he accidentally prodded at her wound. "I taught her how to use magic..."

He watched how, behind all the pain, her eyes still swelled with pride. There was something glinting within his own eyes now, too. Admiration? Excitement? She couldn't tell, nor did she have the time to figure out what it was before the pain in shoulder took over once more, and she once again became aware of how tightly he was wrapping her shoulder. "Well, if you taught that kid how to fight, then you must be pretty strong at full power." Once he was done tending to the injury, he sat down next to her with a knee propped up and an arm sitting atop his leg. "Anyway, we should be able to lay low over here for a little while."

It was now becoming a battle just to keep her eyes open. "I'm still not... completely certain this is safe."

"It'll be fine, you'll see." He stopped talking and looked in the direction of the opening at the end of the alley. A somewhat disconcerting grin had suddenly spread across his face. "Now just keep quiet."

Tatsumiya strained her ears to listen, and after a moment, heard the sound of water swirling. She watched the opening of the alley to find the head of a black serpent-like creature with eyes covering its entire body appear. The orca raised the fingers on his knees as a sort of wave, an invitation. The creature studied him, all eyes trained on his figure, to assess the level of danger. After five seconds of analysis, it evidently had decided the risk wasn't worth it and slunk away.

"See?" The man leaned back against the wall, nudging Tatsumiya, who remained physically unresponsive. "These creatures are a bunch of cowards... And they look weak, too."

She peered at his blurry figure from the corner of her eyes; she could feel the sea floor shifting beneath her, hear her company's words slurring closer together with each sentence he spoke.

"Ah, but I can't say that I don't _want_ them to attack. There are few things I hate more than the cowardly and the weak, and I'd just _love_ to play with 'em."

This was the last thing Tatsumiya was able to make out before her senses failed her.

When she would next awake, Tatsumiya would find herself in her own home, Pulmo and Wadanohara close by her side.

The orca was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Tatsumiya wouldn't see the orca again for another week, when she was out with Pulmo and Helica, patrolling the Sea of Stars. He was a ways down the path the three were walking on, in the middle of what appeared to be an animated conversation with Seguro. The sea serpent looked a little less than thrilled with the interruption of his walk, and thus kept trying to get away, but the orca kept striding along beside him, speaking loudly enough for her to hear his voice from her long distance away.

It wasn't like Tatsumiya to stare at people- it was rude and made others uncomfortable- but she couldn't stop herself from keeping her eyes on him once she'd spotted him.

 _He had saved her life._

 _He thought she was pretty._

She wasn't sure _why_ the second thought came to mind, exactly, but it was there, nonetheless. And, even from a distance, she could tell that he was very handsome; she simply hadn't had the time or energy to think about it the last time she saw him, as she had been bleeding to death.

She was blushing now, embarrassed by her own thoughts, and her companions seemed to take notice.

"Whooo is thaat, Tatsumiiiya?" Pulmo quarried.

Helica followed her line of sight to the orca and narrowed her eyes. "Haven't seen him around. You know him?"

"Eh?" Tatsumiya jumped and covered her face with the sleeves of her dress. "Well, yes, he helped me during the Sea of Death incident..."

Helica didn't look too deeply into it, and simply grunted a "Huh" in response. Pulmo, on the other hand, kept looking between the orca, who was now stealing a cigarette from a protesting Seguro, and Tatsumiya, blushing, and hiding her face, and staring with those oh-so big eyes of hers...

"Tatsumiya."

Tatsumiya jumped again, embarrassed to be caught staring at the handsome orca once more. Pulmo's smile and the small giggles she was holding back only made her more nervous. "Y-Yes?"

"I waasn't awaare that you liiiked those gruff types."

"W-What?"

Helica was staring at Pulmo like she had two heads while Tatsumiya was now covering her entire face. "No! It's not like-"

"I thooought you were into caaalm types, like Meikai and your huuusband."

"Wrong idea! You have it all wrong, really!"

"You should goooo talk to hiim!" Pulmo was pulling Tatsumiya's arms down from her face now, while Helica sauntered off, grumbling something along the lines of ' _I can't make heads or tails of either of you guys._ '

"I really shouldn't bother him," Tatsumiya protested as the jellyfish woman began trying to push her closer into the direction of the now incoming orca.

"Yooou said he heelped you, right?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then saaay thaank you!"

"I-" She cut herself off as she felt a shadow looming over her and turned around, taking a step back as she found the orca standing just behind her, grinning and holding his newly acquired underwater cigarette between his fingers. Seguro was slinking past him.

" _Finally_."

" _Oh, Seguro, waaaait up!_ "

There went Pulmo.

Now left alone, Tatsumiya nervously looked at the orca, who was lazily waving to her. "Yo."

"Hello..." Subconsciously, she clasped her fingers together in front of her body, trying to look calm, but it wasn't doing anything to make her _feel_ more calm.

"Haven't seen you in a while," he said, taking a drag on his cigarette. "You're the oarfish, right? That little witch's mom?"

"Oh, no, no no!" She found herself stumbling over her sentence. "I'm not- I mean- Wadanohara's not- I'm not her mother. Really. She's my master's daughter."

"Huh." He looked down at her, amused, and exhaled a line of smoke that floated up through the water. "Well, it's good to see you're out and about. Glad that you didn't bleed to death after all I did to keep you alive."

Tatsumiya couldn't help the fidgeting in the hands now and had to move them behind her back.

 _He was glad to see her_.

"Yes, and that's all thanks to you," she told him, ignoring the rapid beating of her heart inside of her chest. "You saved my life. I've been meaning to thank you for it, but never got the chance until now..."

"Ah, well..." He took another drag, exhaled smoke again. He grinned suddenly, rows of sharp white teeth glinting. "It was no problem; not like I had anything else to do."

Tatsumiya blinked. What an odd way to respond to the subject of saving a person's life.

"Besides, it wasn't all me. Looks like you managed to heal up pretty quickly." He watched her carefully from behind his cloud of smoke. "Only a week, and you're up and walking again?"

"Well, Wadanohara did help me. I taught her some healing spells a few years back, and she seems to have nearly mastered them." She smiled gently, and he watched her, interested. "She really has come far in such a short number of years..."

He shook his head. "Totally your kid," he muttered, just quietly enough for her not to hear.

"What?"

Letting on last puff of smoke escape his mouth, the orca tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his foot. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me out with something."

She straightened up her back as he took a few steps closer to her. "Oh, of course! Whatever you need!" He was tall. Much too tall. And he smelled horribly of smoke. But, then, he was also smiling, and, while his smile was dangerous, taunting, it was also very handsome and fitting on his face, and Tatsumiya felt her composure faltering at the sight of it.

"I just got some info from that little snake that I can buy some underwater cigs in town, but I got two problems." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "He didn't really tell me what shop, and I don't have any cash on me."

"Oh... Oh!" Her hands were back in front of her now, held over her heart as the orca took yet another step forward. "Yes. Yes, I think I could help you; it's the least I could do. How many packs do you need?"

"I think just two or three should get me through the rest of the day."

So he was a heavy smoker, which would explain the heavily scent of nicotine he carried around with him. Tatsumiya couldn't help thinking to herself that _that_ habit wasn't particularly attractive. Neither were the dark rings under his eyes. But, oh, those eyes-

Immediately afterwards, she was berating herself for even thinking such things.

"Yes. Okay. Three. I have enough money for that. I can do that."

He looked as if he wanted to laugh at something. Probably her stupid rambling. Or her embarrassingly red face. Instinctively, Tatsumiya covered the bottom half of her face in her sleeves.

Instead of laughing though, he simply extended his elbow to her. "Well, then, Golden Eyes, let's get going."

 _Golden Eyes._

 _Oh, no._

 _Oh,_ no _._

 _He was one of_ those _guys._

She really should involve herself with him, she thought. He's a charmer. One of those guys that would probably never use her name, even if he knew it. One of those guys that spelled trouble. Pulmo had described him as a 'gruff type,' when in reality, he'd probably be classified as one of those 'bad boy' types.

She really should just give him some money and send him into the direction of the nearest drug store; it would probably pacify him, either way.

She stared at his elbow before, despite every nerve of hers screaming for her not to, slowly lowering her hands so that she could tentatively hook her arm into his.

His grin widened, and Tatsumiya thought that her heart might break itself out of her chest with how hard it was beating. " _There_ we go."

She just stared at him for a few moments, flustered and red-faced, unsure of what she was supposed to do, before remembering what it was he had asked her. Dumbly, she began tugging him along toward Deep Sea Town. "The closest store is this way..."

When was the last time she'd had a crush? She was acting like a love-struck school girl, and it was beyond embarrassing. She was a grown woman, a proud court official and aid to Princess Uomi! What was she _doing_? And all over a man who's name she didn't even _know_ , no less!

She was so busy trying to talk sense into herself that she almost didn't hear the orca when he started speaking again.

"I can hear that, you know."

She jumped slightly at his sudden words and looked at him, wide-eyed. "Huh?"

"Your heart," he elaborated, giving yet another toothy grin. "Us orcas, we have _really_ good hearing. Echo-location and shit. So I can hear all that pitter-pattering in your chest." He paused briefly, for dramatic effect. "That for me?"

She found herself reeling back from him, shocked. "W-What?"

Looking absolutely delighted by her reaction, he stopped his walking. "Ah, there it goes again. Guess it _was_ for me."

"Oh, no!" She nearly shouted. "No! You must be mistaken! I-"

He wrote her off with a wave of the hand and a devilish grin. "No need to be ashamed! While not exactly _attractive_ , it is pretty cute. In fact, I'm _flattered_ that your heart is fluttering like that just for little 'ol me."

Tatsumiya stuttered on her words, taking a step back from him. "Such _arrogance_!"

"Yes, yes, but it still doesn't stop your heart from fluttering, now, does it, Princess?"

No. No, it didn't. In fact, she almost found his confidence even _more_ appealing.

She opted not to say so, though, and simply looked away, face red.

The orca chuckled. "Ah, but don't be too embarrassed. I'll admit it: I find motherly types of women, such as yourself, pretty attractive."

His saying this only served to make her more embarrassed, and she could tell from the _almost_ innocent smile of his that this was his intention.

He pat her back after a few moments of silence, nudging her back toward town. "Anyway, you were saying this way, correct?"

She hesitated a moment before nodding. "... Yes..."

She began walking once more, the orca following closely beside her. He didn't bother trying to get her to hook her arm into his again, likely figuring that he'd already had his fun and had better not push her too far. Every now and then, though, she'd find that his arm would brush against hers.

She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and found that he was surveying the area carefully as they passed the first few shops of Deep Sea Town.

"You never told me your name," she found herself saying, without really thinking of it.

He looked over at her curiously. "Oh? And why would you want to know?"

"W-Well," she started, thinking of possible excuses. The most obvious was to tell him she wanted to know the name of the man who saved her life, or that she just wanted to know how to address him. With the way he'd been teasing her, though, he would probably find some way to embarrass her with either of these two answers. "I'm buying you drugs that could very well kill you in a few years," she said, instead. "I may as well know your name."

He blinked, as if not expecting this, and then burst into laughter, shoulders shaking. "Oh, man," he barked. "Didn't peg you as being sassy!"

After a moment, Tatsumiya found herself giggling along with him, covering her mouth with her sleeves.

After he managed to calm himself, the orca swung his arm around Tatsumiya's shoulders and brought his mouth next to her ear. "Idate."

 _Idate_. She liked it.

He pulled his mouth away from her ear, and she looked up at him. "Tatsumiya," she said.

He smiled. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, little oarfish."


	6. Chapter 6

_"Mr. Orca, could you take Tatsumiya to a safe place?"_

 _"Hm? Fine by me. I've got the time."_

 **6**

* * *

Tatsumiya had never liked the surface all too much; it was a place where her kind only normally went when they were sick or dying, and so it left her feeling distressed whenever she would venture out to land, even back when she would go out on exploration missions with Meikai and Old. So it hardly made much of a difference when she went to live with Idate.

In fact, being in Idate's home possibly only served to make things worse for her. Iceberg Isle was, as the name implied, a very, _very_ cold place, and if there was any other place that oarfish refused to live in, it was places with cold climates.

She was surprised the water wasn't frozen.

Tatsumiya, shivering, clutched her arms and stared up above her, where she could see the setting sun reflecting on the surface water twenty feet above her. It rippled from the waves, the stirring wind, the water lapping at the iceberg shore. The sun was turning it all shades of yellow and red.

It looked very much like death was awaiting her.

"Almost there, Princess." She started as Idate placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, wide-eyed, as he happily surveyed the stirring waters above them that she had been watching so fearfully only a moment ago. "All that's left to do is swim up and walk back over to my place."

She felt sick.

* * *

Tatsumiya sat in the bathtub, face under the warm waters, and stared at the ceiling. She'd filled the tub up as much as she was possibly able to, which wasn't much, she found to her distaste, and had taken to keeping her back pressed to the bottom so that she submerged herself as much as possible. Of course, her body was too long for the tub to keep herself entirely submerged, so she had to settle with bending her knees and letting the very tops of them sit in the cold icy air.

She found herself bathing much too often since her arrival at Iceberg Isle, simply sitting beneath the heated waters in an attempt to feel more secure about her current whereabouts. She had never stayed above water for more than a few days at a time, and now that she was nearing a week, she felt herself growing more and more distressed as the days went by. Her bathing times had become so frequent now that she almost didn't even need to worry about her hygiene, as she was almost always clean.

If she closed her eyes, she could almost felt as if she were at home in the Sea Kingdom, where she knew Wadanohara spent her days playing and Princess Uomi depended on her and her guidance.

But then there was the peculiar light at the surface of the water just above her head. It looked dangerous and unreal to her, and she couldn't bring herself to keep her eyes off of it for more than a few seconds.

She knew it was just a light bulb shining on the water, but the fear was almost instinctive.

She heard the bathroom door open and close, and her eyes flickered over to the edge of the tub as the blurred image of Idate's face loomed over the water. Instantly, she pressed her legs together and crossed her arms over her breasts.

"Had a feeling you'd be in here," he said. She was just barely able to make out what he had said due to the transition of mediums that the sound had to go through.

He touched the tip of his finger, still covered in his black gloves, to the surface of the water above her head, and she stared as the water rippled. She was almost breathless. "What's wrong?"

She wasn't sure if he heard her or not. If he did, he probably just ignored her, as he simply continued to make circles in the water with his finger. It was a few moments before he spoke again. "Mind making some room for me?"

Reluctantly, she sat up, pressing her legs to her chest, while he undressed.

She didn't like having her head above the water.

It was cold.

Finished undressing, Idate slipped into the water across from her, resting his arms and head on the back of the tub and stretching his legs out on either side of Tatsumiya. She quickly hid her face in her legs, trying to avoid looking at his very plainly exposed gentiles.

"Man, you're shy," Idate teased her. "I mean, we've already had sex. Not really much that either of us has that the other hasn't seen, right?"

She stayed silent.

He sighed. "You know, I really was looking forward to finally coming home after being away for months on end, but, seriously..." He trailed off, and Tatsumiya looked up to see him scratching his head. "It ain't that much fun when my girlfriend's pruning herself in the tub all day."

"I _am_ a fish," she said, trying her best to sound playful, and gave a small smile. "I don't prune; I _live_ in the sea, remember?"

"Not right now, you don't."

Instantly losing the smile she'd fought to put on her face, she looked away from him and instead fixed her gaze on the tiled floor to the side.

He was almost never serious with her, as he wasn't a very serious person in the first place. He always told her that his life's goal was to draw as much fun and pleasure as he could from living, no matter what means it took to get it. She almost found it to be an admirable goal, to strive for happiness, and it said a lot about how he felt about her moping.

She was silent, not sure how to answer.

"You're _killing_ me, Tatsu-Chan."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tightening her arms' hold around her legs. "I just... Being above water is very... disorienting."

"I can tell," he said, pointing to his ears. "Good hearing, remember? Been a little more than disorientation, though. Ever since we arrived, your heart's been pounding real fast, and you're lungs are pushing out lotsa air. Sounds a little more like a fear to me."

She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She closed her eyes, shook her head.

"Well, _fuck_."

Losing his patience, Idate got out of the water, grabbed a towel, and exited the bathroom.

Once he was gone, Tatsumiya submerged herself once more, letting her tears mix in with the bath waters. She'd only get out twenty minutes later, when the water lost its warmth and she began to grow cold.

She'd probably be back in a few hours again, anyway.

* * *

The next time the orca joined her in the tub, he was a lot more quiet and simply waited for her to speak as he stared at the ceiling.

"Oarfish aren't very strong swimmers, you know," she told him. His dark eyes drifted back over to her, and she covered her arms with her hands. "Whenever we're swept up by the current and brought close to the surface, we tend to get battered by the waves."

He didn't say anything, just watched her carefully.

"So, really, the fact that I have a human form could be considered a blessing."

He shifted, leaning over her, and placed his lips on hers. She returned the kiss, then pulled back and sighed, placing her forehead against his. Her eyes were wide open, staring into his, which were nearly closed, but still watching her carefully.

"I know it sounds silly, but we live so deeply in the sea that the sight of the sun is usually seen as an omen of death."

He responded just about the same as she expected.

"Man, you people are paranoid."

Still, he didn't laugh at her, and she had to halfheartedly agree with him.

"Yes... I suppose we are."

He didn't say anything else, just bundled her up into his arms and leaned back against the tub again, this time with Tatsumiya curled in his lap, her head against his chest. His hand stroked her arm, and she continued to stare at the empty bathroom, trying to focus on the sound of his steadily beating heart.

The smell of tobacco on his skin was even stronger than it was underwater.

Surprisingly, she didn't find herself minding too much.

* * *

A few days later, Tatsumiya had been the one to walk in on Idate taking a bath. He had been in the same position he was in when he usually joined her for a soak, arms and head resting against the back of the tub with his legs stretched out as much as he was able to. His legs were so long, though, that his knees popped completely out of the water for the frigid air to cool against.

His eyes had been closed, but when he heard the door, he turned his head to look at a flustered Tatsumiya, holding a change of clothes and a towel. Sure, he had joined her several times, but this was her first time walking in on him while bathing; she was unsure how to react. "O-Oh." She straightened her back, turning her head away. "I'm sorry, I'll just-"

"Why don't you come in and join me?"

While she still felt slightly embarrassed, she wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to soak in the bath.

As she turned her back to him to undress, she was all too aware of his eyes lazily watching her.

As she stepped over to the tub, he spread his legs apart and pat the bottom of the tub between them. Slowly, she made her way into the tub and sat up straight between his legs. He didn't fill the tub up nearly as much as she did; the water was just barely reaching the bottom of her breasts.

She found herself shivering soon, and Idate chuckled, leaning forward to wrap his arms around her shoulders and kiss her temple. "Don't be so awkward, Princess." He leaned back, pulling her along with him, so that her head rested on his chest.

The water was almost to her shoulders now, and she didn't feel quite so cold while leaning against him.

As he took one of her hands in both of his and began to absentmindedly play with it, feeling out all the cracks and crevices and tracing the shape with his fingers, she almost felt like she could close her eyes and ignore the cold, frightening air on her face.

Almost.

* * *

"Don't move."

Two days later, Idate had walked in on her in the exact same position as usual, back flat against the bottom of the tub, staring at the ceiling.

This time, he hadn't asked for permission to join her; he'd simply come into the bathroom unclothed and climbed in on top of her. _Literally_ on top of her.

Tatsumiya held her breath, face red, as he straddled her torso and grasped one of her hands, bringing it to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles, the back of her hand, and then flipped it over to rest his lips on her palm, and then her wrist. He bit down, almost hard enough to draw blood, and then kissed it again.

"W-What brought this on, all of a sudden?" Tatsumiya struggled with the words as he led a trail of kisses down her arm, submerging his head, and then continued to press his lips to her throat. His hands were traveling up and down her body now, feeling out all of her curves and pinching her lightly here and there to elicit tiny little gasps of surprise and pleasure.

"Was just thinking that we haven't done anything particularly... stimulating lately." He breathed bubbles across her skin before nibbling at her again. She inhaled sharply as his pointed teeth met her throat, and she could feel his grin. She knew he loved the little noises she made and would try any little trick he knew just to get her to make them.

As she buried her hands into his hair, he shifted his position atop of her, kneeling with a knee wedged between her legs, and claimed her mouth with his own. There was a small sting on her upper lip, and it had only registered into the orafish's head that he had bitten her rather roughly when a small cloud of red permeated the water between them. Immediately, he began sucking on her lip, giving gentle kisses as an apology for the injury, before he moved to her collar bone and proceeded to repeat the action. Next was her shoulder. Then her bosom. With each area of her body that he decided to provide with small, bloodied bite markings, his knee between her legs was increasing in pressure, and Tatsumiya found it nearly impossible to continue repressing her moans.

Almost instinctively, she began to spread apart her legs, readying herself for what was inevitably about to come, but Idate slid his hand down to her thigh, effectively stopping the movement. "Steady there, Sunshine; not so fast."

What was he doing? She wanted this desperately, felt like she needed it, almost. With each second that passed, his kisses burning at her skin, his knee pressing against her groin, she felt more and more of a need for him to start thrusting himself inside of her.

"W-What?" Her face was flushed, her eyes wide.

"Not in here. Too cramped."

This was a lie, and they both knew it. The reason _why_ wasn't exactly a mystery to Tatsumiya, either.

Her eyes shifted to the water just above his head. The bathroom light bulb was still reflecting across the surface almost eerily. "It's too cold, Idate. Just _please_ -"

"I think we'll warm each other up _pretty quickly_."

 _Oh, how dearly she wanted this_. _Why was he doing this to her?_

"Just in the bedroom."

He was serious. If she really wanted this, they would have to leave the tub.

He watched her eyes as they darted back up to the surface of the water.

"OK, fine. We can just do it on the couch, by the fireplace. We can keep the tap water on, if it helps."

It didn't sound nearly as pleasant as just having sex in the bathtub.

But then his hand was back to her side, stroking up and down her body tantalizingly, and- _oh, God, did she want this badly_.

"Yes!" she blurted out. "Yes! Sounds great!"

* * *

Later, the two were laying atop one another on the living room couch, the fireplace across the room warming their bodies and the sound of sink water rushing into their ears from the next room over.

Idate was on top of Tatsumiya, breathing warm air on her mouth and dripping water from his hair onto her cheeks.

He briefly pressed his lips against hers and pulled back.

Breathless, she leaned forward to give him her own kiss.

For another minute, he contented himself with staring at her through half-lidded eyes. Then he was pushing himself to his feet. "Gonna go get a blanket," he muttered before disappearing into the bedroom.

Without Idate's closeness, Tatsumiya suddenly felt cold, even with the help of the fireplace. It seemed as though she needed to get closer. Slowly, she got to her feet, trying her best to ignore the aches between her legs, and stumbled to the rug in front of the fireplace. She curled into a ball with her back to the flames and let her eyes wander to the window.

It was one of those still days in Iceberg Isle, where the wind wasn't howling and all you could see for miles was white light shimmering off of the ice. It was blinding. It was quiet. The sun would be up for days. Idate had told her that in the winter, it would be the moon up in the sky for days on end. She couldn't imagine having such a long night.

She was still on the rug by the fireplace, staring at the window, when Idate returned with a large fur-covered blanket in his arms. He stopped for a moment, eyebrow raised, to stare at her. Tatsumiya was sure that he could hear her heartbeat slowly rising as she continued to stare at the window.

Then he was laying in front of her to block her line of vision and throwing a blanket over the top of them, covering every inch from head to toe.

It was dark under the blanket, but warm. Tatsumiya curled herself closely to Idate's body, her head tucked underneath his chin.

She found herself thinking, as he wrapped his arms around her back, that now would be the perfect moment to simply close her eyes and let herself drift into a peaceful sleep. The crackling of the fire behind her and the sound of running tap water from the next room over should have, after all, set her at ease.

But she found that her eyes remained open, despite seeing nothing but darkness around her, and that her ears remained trained on the eerie silence of their home.

She would fall asleep later, of course. She did every night, tucked safely in Idate's bed. But never easily.

* * *

"No more baths?"

She was mortified by the very idea that had been proposed to her.

"Yep." Idate was stern-faced. "You're showering from now on. And only once per day. At least until you can get over this whole 'fish-out-of-water' thing."

It seemed awfully cruel of him to take her one comfort from her, especially since he had blocked her path to the bathroom door to stop her while she was on her way for another bath, but she knew he was trying to do it for her own good. Still...

"I don't think that's a very fair decision for you to make on your own, Idate."

"Whoever said I was fair?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door. "Life ain't fair. But you're living on land now, and you need to quit all this moping. It's depressing."

She gripped the sleeve of her kimono unconsciously. "W-Well... What's this 'showering' thing, then?"

All of this hygiene stuff had never been a problem when she lived underwater; all anyone ever needed to do was rub some soap on their self and be done with it. How anyone stayed clean on land had always been a complete mystery to her until she began venturing on land with Meikai; even then, the only thing he taught her was bathing. She'd never once heard of showering.

Idate raised an eyebrow. "You've seriously never showered before?"

She shook her head.

"Well..." He looked at a loss for words at first, trying to figure out how to best describe it, before a grin slid itself onto his face. "How about I help you, then?"

She wasn't quite sure that a shower was really on his mind at the moment.

She eyed him suspiciously. "I'm not sure I'll need your help."

"Well, even if you don't, I need to make sure you're not cheating, don't I?"

She crossed her arms. "You are being _very_ unfair now."

"Like I said, I don't play fair."

He still held himself in front of the door, that impish grin stuck on his face.

Finally, she slumped her shoulders. "Alright. Just let me in."

"'Atta girl." He grabbed her wrist and opened the bathroom door, dragging her in behind him. Once they were inside of the bathroom, Idate let go of her wrist and headed for the tub as Tatsumiya closed the door, watching him carefully so that she would know how to do this on her own.

Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. Would a shower be similar to a bath? Would it be any different? She was scared to find out.

But all Idate did was turn the water on, leaving the drain open. "Alright, let's get undressed while we wait for the water to warm up."

She nodded to him and followed suit as he began to peel his own clothes off of himself. Tatsumiya began to shiver as she pulled off her underwear and bra, and she couldn't help noticing that it looked like Idate was being hit by the cold, as well. He walked back to the tub, checked the water with his hands. "OK, it's good. Get in."

Confused, she climbed into the tub after him and looked down at her feet. The faucet was on the other end of the tub, and the water went straight down into the drain just below it. She was completely dry and beginning to feel more vulnerable as the moments ticked by. "Idate? What are we doing?"

"Nothing yet." He grasped the knob that adjusted the water temperature. "You ready?"

"For what?"

"For this."

He pulled the knob, it snapped back, and Tatsumiya was suddenly covered in warm water that was projected from the faucet a few feet above their heads.

She shrieked as the water made contact with her skin, not expecting it, and Idate laughed. "Oh, man, I got you!"

She stood there, shocked and flustered, and tried to figure out how she should breathe before discovering that her gills worked perfectly fine with the running water. Like she was swimming through a current. "That really scared me, at first."

"Awe, _poor baby_." He stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug against his chest. "By the way, that's cheating. Try breathing through your nose."

It took her a moment to gather up the courage before she was able to take a sharp intake of air through her nose.

" _There_ you go." He released her, taking a step back to watch her face. "Not so bad, right?"

She would admit: the warm water running over her body felt surprisingly good when contrasted with the cold air. "I... I do rather like it. It feels nice."

"Good, good." He grinned.

"Oh, but, um..." She hesitated, and he raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Could you, please, move behind me? You're too tall, so you're catching most of the water."

His lips twisted with laughter. "Yeah, yeah. Sure thing, Princess."

He did as asked, and they both shuffled around in the tub so he could make his way behind her. When his towering figure was finally out of the way, Tatsumiya finally felt the full blast of warm water on her face and body and sighed in contentment. Idate wrapped his arms around her torso and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"... Thank you, Idate."

The orca hummed in response. "I _did_ promise your kid I'd take you somewhere safe, remember? So I can't have you feeling scared here, now, can I?"

Normally, she would have corrected him in saying that Wadanohara wasn't her daughter, but Tatsumiya didn't find the need for once. So she just nodded, and he placed an affectionate kiss at the top of her head.

She found herself enjoying his closeness. It made her feel warmer. Safer.

For the first time in a long while, she let herself close her eyes for a few moments to simply enjoy the sensation.


End file.
